| Feb 18, 2014


Denbigh post office facing cut in hours as well

The Denbigh Post Office is not immune to the cost-cutting measures at rural post offices in the region that continue to be rolled out by Canada Post.

Last week, Glen Baldock, Canada Post’s local area manager for Kingston, paid a visit to the post office in Denbigh, and also sent a letter to Addington Highlands Councils.

In his letter to Council, Glen Baldock says that Canada Post is considering “closing your post office on Saturdays only and realigning the hours during the week."

According to a presentation to Addington Highlands Council by local resident Dianne Isaacs, based on her conversation with the local postmaster, the more detailed proposal for Denbigh is similar to what has been proposed at some of the other locations in the region. Instead of the current hours of 9 to 4:30 Monday to Friday and 9 to 12:30 on Saturday, Canada Post is proposing hours of 10:30 to 3:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10:30 until 6:30 on Wednesdays; and no Saturday hours.

The proposed changes echo what is proposed in Parham and Maberly in that they involve a 25% cut in hours from 36 to 27, an end to Saturday hours, and opening late one day a week, but is somewhat different than what is proposed for Cloyne.

Dianne Isaacs urged Council to send a letter to Canada Post pointing out the role that the post office plays in Denbigh. As well, since the Denbigh Post Office is located in the basement of the post-master’s home, customers will not have access to their boxes when the office is closed.

“The post office is also the only location where federal forms, such as tax and passport forms, are available locally,” Isaacs added.

Council will send a letter to Canada Post asking for the hours to remain as they are now.

Concern over the state of Bridge Street

Bonnie Thompson, a new full-time resident of Denbigh, approached Council with a request that attention be paid to Bridge Street in Denbigh. “I know that the street needs to be rebuilt and that may not be possible at this time, but I do think some effort could be made to keep the grass cut and improve the guardrails to make it more appealing for visitors,” she said.

She also asked if the boat launch in Denbigh might be outfitted with a picnic table and perhaps a garbage can in order to make it more appealing to visitors.

Her proposals are being referred to the Denbigh Recreation Committee.

Building statistics for 2013

A summary of construction statistics show a total construction value of $5.8 million in 2013, down from a record $8.8 million in 2012 but well above the $3.2 million in 2011.

However, some large projects skewed the figures for 2012 and 2013. The 2012 figure includes $960,000 for the Northbrook ambulance base and $4 million for the Pine Meadow Nursing Home addition. The 2013 figure includes $2.6 million for the addition to Bence Motors' showroom and garage.

If these projects are taken off the results, it turns out that the construction activity has been relatively steady over the three years: $3.3 million in 2013, $3.8 million in 2012 and $3.2 million in 2011.

Warning about Health and Safety

The township's assistant clerk, Tanya Rosenblath, also acts as the health and safety officer for the township. In December she completed an inspection and sent reports to each department dealing with issues in various township-owned buildings.

In a report to Council she pointed out that the only building for which she has received a response to the concerns she raised are the Northbrook and Denbigh garages.

“I have not heard anything from the other departments/buildings that require some attention,” she said in her report.

She said she is bringing the matter to council’s attention because if the departments do not wish to follow the recommendations, “I feel that I can no longer take the responsibility of overseeing H&S [Health and Safety] because of the liability risk that I would be putting myself and the township if the Ministry of Labour should show up or an accident should happen.”

Deputy Reeve Bill Cox, chair of the recreation facilities committee, said he would make sure all the buildings under his committee’s purview will be addressed.

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